All-rounder Shane Watson is thinking about playing only as a batsman and has said that he will talk about his plans with the Australian selectors after the completion of the third Test against Sri Lanka at Sydney

Watson will miss the Sydney Test starting on January 3 with a calf injury which resurfaced during the second Test in Melbourne.

The 31-year-old said he had felt some soreness before the match but was not rested despite Australia's contentious policy of sidelining players considered close to the burn-out stage.

Watson admitted he felt a niggle in his calf following the first Test in Hobart earlier this month, where he bowled 47.4 overs after swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus broke down during the game with a side strain.

"I am doing some thinking about what my prospects are moving forward with regards to my bowling. I have to sit down with the hierarchy and work out the best way to manage things so I can put some cricket together for a period of time," Watson told the Nine Network after Australia's innings and 201-run victory over the Sri Lankans.

He said he wanted to get some continuity as a batsman. Watson missed out on his third Test century and his first hundred since October 2010 when he was dismissed for 83 in Australia's first innings in Melbourne.

It was the 19th time Watson has failed to convert a Test half-century into three figures. He currently averages 37.03 with the bat in 38 Tests.

Cricket Australia's high-performance chief Pat Howard said the selectors were keen to have multi-skilled players in the Australian team.

"If Watson or anybody wants to be a batsman only, somebody else has got to be able to take up the responsibility of bowling overs," Howard told reporters on Saturday.

"There was a lot of thought put behind whether to rest Watson for the Melbourne Test. However, we took a collective decision and looked at the larger picture. He is a multi-skilled player and can bring more than a couple of attributes to the game."

Howard said when managing players' workloads it mainly involved the young fast bowlers in the squad.

"Looking after them is a pretty core principle of what we're trying to do," Howard said.

Australia rested left-arm quick Mitchell Starc from the Melbourne Test without any apparent injury concerns. Uncapped Victoria all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been named in Australia's 13-man squad for the Sydney Test in place of Watson.